Your connection is not private
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from www.google.com (for example, passwords, messages or credit cards). Learn more
NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID
www.google.com normally uses encryption to protect your information. When Google Chrome tried to connect to www.google.com this time, the website sent back unusual and incorrect credentials. This may happen when an attacker is trying to pretend to be www.google.com, or a Wi-Fi sign-in screen has interrupted the connection. Your information is still secure because Google Chrome stopped the connection before any data was exchanged.
You cannot visit www.google.com right now because the website uses HSTS. Network errors and attacks are usually temporary, so this page will probably work later.

It was a fresh install of Google Chrome. I'd like to move over to Chromium once it is added to the Software Center, but until this issue is fixed, I won't feel comfortable using it. Can you help me here?

That just looks like a temporary blip when trying to access Google. Maybe just a SSL cert (https) quirk that Chrome is simply alerting (aka: scare) you to. It happens. There's a big push in the browser war relative to encrypted connections and the warnings that the browser triggers.

If you can access Google fine since, you're probably just fine.

On the side, you can also be proactive and add an extension to Chrome to use/prefer https web connections...such as HTTPS Everywhere, or Https by Default.

The problem is that it is not a temporary thing. I've tried it again today, and it still displays the same message. Not only that, everywhere on the Internet has the same problem, not just Google sites. And Firefox (rather, Waterfox, but I'm sure Firefox is the same) works perfectly fine.